1 June 1811

Fallacies

31 35

Ch. Authority worshippers

2

$ 5 Prevalence Cause

3. Question How happens it /can it happen/ that in a place /situation/ for which /for the [...?] occupation of which/ the strongest talents would not be more than required there should /how is it that there can/ be any such failure of natural talents?

Answer. Because the /when/ /forasmuch as/ in so many instances /existences[?] in that/ depending /depends/ either on himself alone or on others to whom whether he has or has not the requiste talents is a matter of indifference, no degree of intellectual deficiency, short of palpable idiocy, in those instances[?] can have the affect of excluding a man from occupying it.

A man who is fit for nothing else - a man who is fit for absolutely nothing, is not the less likely to occupy a seat in the House of Commons.

Question How comes it that the sense of responsibility is [...?] /[...?]/ in the instance of so large a proportion of the Members, and thence in so large a degree wanting in the whole House? the sense[?] of responsibility is wanting altogether? wanting?

Answer. Because in so small a proportion /in the proportion of an efficient majority/ are they at any time depend in any[?] degree of dependence on the people whose fate is in their hands, and because in the instance of the few who in whose instance any such dependence here[?] place[?], /the length of [...?] [...?] which /in whose/ / the efficient cause and consequently the sense /feeling/ of such dependence here[?] place[?] bears[?] so small a proportion to the length of /[...?] of[?]/ time expressive[?] of their existence in it;